Houghton, MI – Michigan Tech offered its first Introduction to Log Rolling course this fall. It’s so popular that two class sections are being offered for the upcoming spring semester — and students formed a club that competes at the collegiate level.
Jared Johnson, instructor, and director of Michigan Tech’s Outdoor Adventure Program, said balance, reaction, focus, core strength, foot speed and hand-eye coordination are some of the benefits. “It’s more of a workout than people might think.” Students practice and compete using two logs: the 65-pound, roughly 12-foot-long, high-density polyethylene cylinders are watertight stand-ins for traditional 500-pound cedar logs.
Chemical engineering major Maggie Evans is president of the new log rolling club.
“I needed a gym credit, and it sounded fun and interesting,” she said. “Twenty years down the road I can tell my kids I competed in log rolling at the collegiate level.” At the 2018 Key Log Rolling Collegiate Tournament series, hosted by Purdue University in October, Huskies Ally Kiekhaefer rolled to a first-place finish, and Via Ouelette-Ballas took third. In the men’s division, Brady Severt took second place. Will Otto won third. The team plans to host a log-rolling competition at Michigan Tech on April 6, 2019.
Log rolling isn’t the only unique Michigan Tech physical education offering. Students can also learn to canoe, kayak and rock climb. Log-rolling community classes for youth and adults will be be offered beginning in mid-January. Check out the details, including pre-registration information at michigantechrecreation.com or Michigan Tech’s Outdoor Adventure Program on Facebook.
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